IDCA President Charged With Bribery and Conspiracy

Sunil Agrawal, chief executive of STS Jewelers in New York, was recently charged with offering a veteran U.S. diplomat jewelry and other gifts in exchange for work visas.

Agrawal is the current president of the Indian Diamond and Colorstone Association. He is also a board member of Jewelers for Children.

Michael John O’Keefe, the deputy non-immigrant visa chief at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, was also indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges.

The indictment alleges a scheme in which O’Keefe fast-tracked applications for STS Jewels, the Associated Press reports. He awarded 21 visas to STS employees, according to the indictment.

Agrawal is accused of lavishing him with gifts in exchange, including a hotel booking at the Hilton Millennium in Midtown Manhattan in 2004, a $3,000 ring, and a trip to Las Vegas in the company of two exotic dancers.